Extensible clasp for bracelets



Deon. 2m 394.9 J. DAL@ EXTENSIBLE CLASP FOR BRACELETS Filed Feb. 19, 1948 fn den i'for:

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atented Dec. 20, 1949 lTED STATES PATENT OFFICE EXTENSIBLE CLASP FOR BRACELETS Application February 19, 1948, Serial No. 9,462

4 Claims. l

rlhis invention relates to extensible clasps or connectors for wrist-Watch bracelets and the like and consists in improvements in the construction and arrangement of the parts thereof.

One object of the invention is to provide an extensible clasp having foldable and slidable members adapted to be nested together in compact relationship and an auxiliary telescopic expansion member with resilient means for actuating it to tighten the bracelet on the wrist of the wearer while providing for its limited expension to accommodate flexing of the wrist.`

Another object is to provide a clasp of the type indicated having the auxiliary expansion member contained in the cover of the clasp and the resilient means therefor protected by a coverpiate for concealing it from view andA preventing the parts from catching in the clothing or other extraneous objects when the clasp is opened into extended relationship.

Another object is to provide a clasp of the type specied with its mechanical operating parts covered to protect them from the insinuation of dust and concealed from view to improve the appearance of the whole and add to its artistic effect.

Further objects of the improvement are to provide a highly ornamental clasp of the type specified which is of greater convenience to operate and more efficient in use than similar devices previously used.

The following specication describes a preferred form of construction of the improved bracelet clasp or connector as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the clasp shown as connecting the adjacent ends of a chain or linkage in the form of a wrist-watch bracelet;

Fig. 2 is a sectional longitudinal side View of the clasp taken in a median plane and showing its foldable parts in extended relationship;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the cover of the clasp shown with the expansion member telescopically contracted therein and ff:

for enclosing and protecting the mechanical elements in the cover of the clasp shown in inverted position;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the extensible telescopic member of the clasp, also shown in inverted position; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the cover of the clasp shown in inverted position or viewed from the bottom.

The present improved bracelet clasp or connectorpreferably consists of a plurality of foldable parts comprising a bottom or base-member 2, an expansible connecting link 3 pivoted to one end of the base-member and telescopically slidable in a foldable member 4, the foldable member 4 being pivotally connectedto a cover-member 5, and an expansion member 6 telescopically mountedV in the cover 5 and resiliently operated to expand or contract the length of the bracelet. The several parts of the clasp may be made from sheet-metal stamped out and struck up in dies to render them light in weight and of relatively thin cross-section to adapt them to fold together into compact nested relationship. The base-member 2 is generally of channel shape with its bottom wall 8 of arcuate contour to conform to the rounded contour of the wriston which it is worn. Folded at right-angles to the bottom Wall 8` at the sides thereof are longitudinallyextending flanges 9 which `may be punched to form elongate projections I0 for engagement with underlying lateral flanges on the cover-member in the manner as `later' explained. At one end of the base-member 2 the metal of its bottom wall is extended and curled around to form a loop I I for connection with the end link L of a bracelet or `other part. Extending between the sides 9 of the base-member 2 at its opposite end is a cross-.pin I2 for pivotal engagement with a circular loop I3 at the end of the slidable extension member 3.

The extension member. 3 is of plate-like form of somewhat thicker cross-section than the bottom wall of the base-member 2 and arcuate in shape to conform to the contour of the wrist and the shape of the foldable member 4 in which it is arranged to slide.` rihe free end of the member 3 is provided with a detent projection or lug I5 for engagement with a crossbar I 6 on the foldable member 4 to limit the outward sliding movement of the member` 3 with respect thereto..`

The foldable member 4 is of a construction andA shape similar to that of themember 2i, comprising a top wall` I'I and folded side walls I8. At the opposite end from-the crossbar IiiV the top wall of the member 4 is formed with an extension of the metal curled around to provide a loop for engagement with a cross-pin 25 riveted through the sides of the cover-member 5.

The cover-member 5 is of hollow form and arcuate shape corresponding to the curved conformation of the members 2, 3 and i which are adapted to fold into nested relationship therein. The cover-member 5, shown as inverted in the perspective view in Fig. S, is constructed with a top wall bordered by downwardly-projecting side walls 2l and 28 having inwardly-directed narrow anges 29 and 3B at the bottom thereof. The side walls 2l' and 28 are pierced at their ends with holes 3| for receiving the cross-pin 25, previously mentioned, which connects the covermember 5 to the foldable member 4. The sides 21 and 28 of the member 5 are also formed with arcuately-shaped projections or lugs 32 for engagement by a persons fingers to unfold the parts of the clasp. As shown in Figs. 1 and 8 of the drawing, the top wall 25 of the cover 5 is preferably embossed or crowned to provide a raised rib 33 extending throughout its length, thereby adding to the ornamental appearance of the lcover and also increasing the space on its interior by forming a sort of inverted longitudinal trough therein.

At the end of the cover 5 opposite its end car- .Y

rying the cross-pin Z5 the metal of the top wall 25 is extended in a narrowed strip or tab 34, bent rearwardly and folded against the face of the raised rib 33 with its end offset in spaced relation thereto at 35, as shown most clearly in Fig. y

8 of the drawing. The purpose of this tab or prong 35 is to provide a holding means for the end of the cover-plate 3S, shown in perspective view in Fig. 6 and positioned within the cover 5 in the manner as later explained.

rThe cover-plate 35 is constructed from a relatively narrow, fiat strip of metal havinga pair of ears 3l and 33 bent at an angle to its sides at one end and perforated with holes 35 for receiving the cross-pin 25 riveted through the holes 3| in the end of the cover 5. Substantially midway of its length the cover-plate 35 is bent to form its forepart 4Q slightly offset from the plane of its rearward portion, see Figs. 4 and 6. At the forward end of the cover-plate 35 is a narrowed tab 42 bent at substantially right-angles and then projecting forwardly in a lip 4l. The cover-plate 36 is xedly mounted in the cover 5 of the clasp with the pin 25 projecting through the holes 39 in its ears 3i and 38 and the lip All at its opposite end inserted under the tab 35. In this position the cover-plate 35 underlies the raised rib 33 on the top wall 25 of the cover 5 with a space between its offset forepart 5.3 and the bottom of the rib.

The auxiliary expansion member 5 which is slidably mounted to telescope within the cover 5 is of inverted channel-shape when in its operative position beneath the top wall 25 of the cover. As shown in its inverted position in Fig. 7, it is constructed with a transverse top wall and lateral wallsV 46 and :il folded at right-angles thereto. The greater portion of the top wall :t5 of the member 3 is cut away at the center to provide an opening `48, at one end of which is a forwardly-projecting tongue 49 for holding the end of the spring 50, to be later described, see Figs. 3 and 4. At its opposite end the top wall 45 is extended and curled around to provide a loop 5| for connecting the member 5 to the crossbar b of the end link B of the bracelet as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

The expansion member B is mounted within the cover 5 in the space between the offset portion 4G of the cover-plate 36 and the top wall 33 of the cover with the tab 34 and lip 4| projecting through its central opening 48; it being noted by reference to Figs. 3 and 4 that the cross-strip 52 at the rear of the loop 5| is offset downwardly to a slight extent to clear the tab 34 at the end of the cover. The spring 5U is composed of relatively fiat helices and mounted between the offset portion 40 of the cover-plate 36 and the top wall 25 of the cover 5 within the confines of the central opening 48 in the member 6. One end of the spring encloses the tongue 49 on the member B while its opposite end abuts the right-angular shoulder-portion of the lip 4| at the end of the cover-plate 33. Through this arrangement the expansion member 5 is adapted to slide outwardly beyond the end of the cover 5 to a limited extent as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, while being normally maintained in contracted. relationship within the cover, as indicated in Figs. l, 3 and 4, unde the tension of the spring 50.

it will be observed that when the slidable expansion member 5 and the spring 53 are assembled within the cover 5 in the relationship above described, these mechanically operating parts will be enclosed and hidden from View, while also being protected from the insinuation of lint or dust, or from any chance of their contacting with the garments of the wearer or other extrancous objects when the clasp is unfolded. Likewise, the protection of the spring 53 by the coverplate 36 insures its proper functioning and free sliding movement of the expansion member 'd in either direction to extend or contract the length of the bracelet. The method of operation of the present improved clasp or bracelet-connector is explained as follows:

With the bracelet attached to a watch or other object it may be applied to the wrist by unfolding the clasp in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2 whereof to extend the bracelet sufciently to pass it over the hand, it being observed that in accordance with the present construction the extension is very considerable to accommodate hands of substantial size. To tighten the bracelet around the wrist the several parts of the clasp are folded together by swinging the member i around on its pivot-pin 25 to nest it in the cover 5 after the link 3 has been telescoped by sliding it into the member 4. The base-member 2 is then folded the member 5 to nest it in the cover 5 and during this operation the projections or lugs i3 on the sides of the 3 of the member 2 will snap across the inturned flanges 25 and 33 on the covernember and engage therewith to hold the parts in folded relationship. This contraction in the length of the clasp by folding its members together will draw the bracelet quite snugly around the wrist while the resiliently-operated auxiliary expansion member may be expanded or extended against the tension of the spring 53 to accommodate wrists varying in size. That is to say, the expansion member 5 insures a proper fit of the bracelet on wrists varying somewhat in size and in addition it maintains a resilient tension cn the bracelet to hold it snugly and prevent it from slipping on the wrist. At the same time the spring 53 will yield to allow the clasp to expand in length by the outward sliding movement of the extension member il to take care of any exing of the wrist.

It wiil thus be observed that the present irnproved construction of the clasp provides for adjusting the length of the bracelet to fit wrists oi' various sizes while rendering it more comfortable to wear without lcoseness and slippage on the Wrist. By unfolding the parte of the clasp the bracelet may be extended to maximum length for eas r passage over the hand and yet when the parts are together a particularly compact structure is produced. As a particular feature of improvement the mechanical parts of the clasp comprising the spring :it and its mounting are completely covered and concealed within the cover il so as to prevent interference with the proper functioning of the spring and the sliding action of the expansion member E in addition to presenting a more finished and highly ornamental appearance of the whole.

While the invention is herein shown and described as embodied in a preferred form of construction, it is to be understood that modifications may be made in the shape and arrangement or" the parts without departing from the C spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I claim:

1. A clasp for wrist-watch bracelets and, the like comprising a plurality oi interconnected foldable members, a hollow cover-member for receiving the ioldable members in nested relationship therein, an expansion member slidable within the cover, a spring within the cover for normally retracting the expansion member into telescopic relation thereto, a cover-plate, and means for connecting the cover-plate to one end of the cover-member, said cover-member having an inturned tab at its opposite end overlying the corresponding end of the cover-plate, and said spring held under tension with one end engaging the expansion member and its opposite end abutting the tab on the end of the cover-member.

2. A clasp for wrist-watch bracelets and the like comprising a hollow cover-member, a plurality of foldable extension members adapted to nest within the cover-member, a transverse pin at one end of the cover-member for pivotally connecting it to one of said foldable members, said cover-member having a tab at its opposite end proj cting rearwardly thereinto with a space between the tab and the top wall oi the cover, an expansion member slidable longitudinally within the cover-member, a spring for sliding said expansion member to normally maintain it retracted within the cover-member, and a coverplate having ears engaged by the transverse pin at one end of the cover-member and its opposite end provided with a lip held under the tab at the corresponding end of the cover to fasten said cover-plate within the cover-member in underlying relation to the expansion member and its spring.

3. A ciasp for wrist-watch bracelets and the like comprising a hollow cover-member, an extension member hinged to one end of the covermember by a pivot-pin, a link sildable within said extension member to adapt it to be extended from the end thereof, means for limiting the sliding movement of said link, a base-member hinged to the end of the link, said base-member extension member being foldable into overly; relationship and adapted to be nested Within the hollow of the cover, an expansion member mounted to slide longitudinally in the covermember for extension from its end opposite to that connected to the extension member, a helical spring housed in the cover and tensioned between the expansion member and the end of the cover for normally retracting said expansion member into the cover, and a separate cover-plate underlying the expansion member the spring for concealing and protecting the mechanical elements of the clasp, said cover-plate connected to the cover-member at one end by the aforementioned pivot-pin and held at its opposite end nnder an offset tab projecting inwardly from the end of the cover-member.

4. A clasp for wrist-watch bracelets and the like comprising a hollow cover-member having a top wall and depending side walls with flanges projecting inwardly from the lower edges thereof, an extension member pivoted to the end of said cover member by a transverse pin having a top wall with depending flanges at the thereof, said extension member also provided with a crossbar at its end, a link slidable between the sides of said extension member and formed with a detent-projection engageable with the crossbar at its end to limit the sliding movement of said link, a base-member pivoted to the opposite end of said link to adapt it to fold against the extension member and to be nested therewith Within the cover when so folded, lugs on the basemember engageable with the bottom anges of the cover to hold the several members in folded and nested relationship in the cover, an expansion member of inverted channel shape slidably mounted in the cover, a relatively nat helical spring arranged between the sides of the expansion member, means on the expansion member for holding one end of the spring, and a separate cover plate extending longitudinally within the cover-member underlying the spring and the expansion member with one end connected to the cover-member by the aforementioned pin and its opposite end held by an offset portion of said cover-member terminating in an inwardly-directed tab overlying said cover-plate, said spring being held under tension and enclosed by said cover-plate for normally maintaining said eXpanson member retracted in telescopic relation to the cover member.

JOHN DALO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record .in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,690,498 Nelson Nov. 6, 1928 2,001,216 Sand May 14, 1935 2,057,589 Prestinari Oct. 13, 1936 2,157,076 Haelner May 2, 1939 

